 |
| Prince Johan Friso and Princess Mabel. Image: Daily Telegraph |
Prince Johan Friso, Queen Beatrix’s second son who has been
under comatose for over 18 months, has passed away August 12.
The Prince was born Johan Friso Bernhard Christiaan David
van Oranje-Nassau van Amsberg on Sept. 25, 1968 to then Princess Beatrix and
Prince Claus.
He finished his secondary education at Eerste Vrijzinnig
Christelijk Lyceum in The Hague in 1986 before spending two years (1986-88) at
the University of California, Berkeley, where he studied mechanical
engineering. He transferred to Delft University of Technology in 1988 where he graduated
with a degree in aeronautical engineering in 1994. He then moved to Erasmus
University in Rotterdam, where he finished his master’s degree in economics. At
that time, Prince Johan Friso was second in line to the throne, so in
anticipation of a possible succession to the throne, he studied Dutch law and
parliamentary history.
Fresh from his post-graduate studies, Prince Johan Friso launched
his career at the Amsterdam branch of the international management consultancy
McKinsey. He later obtained an MBA degree at INSEAD and served as vice
president for Goldman Sachs International in London from 1998 until 2003.
In 2004 he served as part-time co-president of TNO Space in
Delft.
In 2006, he became one of the managing directors in the
London office of Wolfensohn & Company, a private investment and advisory
firm.
Prince Johan Friso cofounded the MRI Centre in Amsterdam. He
is also a founding shareholder of Wizzair, one of the biggest low-cost airlines
in Europe. Together with his younger brother Prince Constantijn, he sat honorary
chairman of the Prince Claus Fund for Culture and Development. Before his accident
in Austria, Prince Johan Friso served as chief financial officer for URENCO, a
uranium enrichment company.
Prince Johan Friso lost his rights to inherit the throne, as
well as his position as a member of the Royal House by virtue of the Act of
Consent in 2004, after marrying Mabel Wisse Smit without the approval of
Parliament.
According to Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende, he had the
opportunity to meet with Mabel Wisse Smit in October 2003 where she talked
about the issue with her past relationship with Klaas Bruinsma (1953–1991), a known
drug lord in the Netherlands. The Princess revealed that while she had a few months
of contact with Bruinsma, however, their conversations casual and they never had
an intimate relationship. In fact, she had severed her contact with Bruinsma after
learning of his occupation.
This "breach of trust" was the reason why the
government did not ask for Parliament’s support, respecting the wishes of the
couple. The couple married anyway in Delft on April 24, 2004. Mabel Wisse Smit
became a Princess and a member of the Dutch Royal Family, although she did not
become an official member of the Dutch Royal House.
After their marriage, the couple settled on Kew in London.
Their marriage was blessed by two daughters: Countess Emma
Luana Ninette Sophie of Orange-Nassau, Jonkvrouwe van Amsberg (March 26, 2005
in London); and Countess Joanna Zaria Nicoline Milou of Orange-Nassau,
Jonkvrouwe van Amsberg (born June 18, 2006 in London).
On February 17, 2012, while on a holiday with his family in
Lech, Austria, an avalanche occurred, which buried the prince while skiing off
piste. He was immediately rushed to a hospital in Innsbruck, where his
condition was pronounced critical but stable. However, neurological tests revealed
that he suffered massive brain damage after oxygen shortage. The prince was in
a minimally conscious state and never regained full consciousness until his
death a year and a half later, on August 12, 2013.
Find out more on Prince Friso’s death:
The Royal House’s Official Website announces Prince JohanFriso’s death [Royal House's Official Website]
An Obituary on the Prince’s Death [Telegraph]
Check out some of the most memorable moments in Prince JohanFriso’s life captured well and clear [Getty Images]
The Royal Blogger
Christian George Acevedo is a book worm, mentor, and scholar of
wide-ranging interests. He has authored hundreds of articles for various
websites, and his expertise ranges from online marketing and finance to
history, entertainment and many more. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Tumblr. Contact Christian
at powerwordsonlinewriting@gmail.com.
.png)
0 Comments